34. She is a Rike-jo (female student in the science and engineering majors) whose employment at a leading food manufacturer from this April has already been decided. (continued)

34. She is a Rike-jo (female student in the science and engineering majors) whose employment at a leading food manufacturer from this April has already been decided. (continued)

2014-03-07

I continue my interview with Ms. M in the second year of the Master’s Course of Biotechnology Major, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering.

●You will be a member of society this April! Congratulations to your job appointment (at a leading food manufacturer in this prefecture). Was it difficult for you to find a job?

●It didn’t always go well, and sometimes I was depressed. The hardest thing was to keep “mental strength”. When things went wrong, I was distressed and wondering what was wrong with me. But eventually my job hunting endeavors ended very successfully. I am going to work for a sales section of a food manufacturer, where I believe I can utilize my knowledge from my microorganism research. The knowledge from the research is useful not only for development but also for sales. Without specialized knowledge, you can’t fully show the merit of a product to the users. And the users cannot fully understand the advantage when explained in technical terms or specialized vocabulary and knowledge. So I wish to make a simple explanation of a product based on a broad knowledge of its value. The company that employed me allows the workers of any department to propose a product development. I wish to present a good proposal taking advantage of my position to directly contact with users!

●In your finding employment, what do you think was your strong point they evaluated?

● I think my attitude toward the research was valued. It is a strong point that one can be confident with one thing! Well, three things if possible (lol). It is powerful if one can express oneself from various aspects. I myself had experiences in three laboratories, in university, graduate school, and in the CA activity, which gave me various techniques and a wider perspective, as I said before, and this made good points for me to appeal myself. Also, having a good command of Microsoft PowerPoint was advantageous because the skill is a must in doing research.

●It is important to have various experiences.

●I do agree. I was very much stimulated when I participated an academic meeting of actinomycetes when I was in the 1st year of the graduate school. The people I met there were far too excellent, and I had to realize I still was a nobody. This made me determine to work harder! Another good experience was to attend the lecture “Molecular Biology Advanced Study”. It was very tough, but meaningful. There I gave a research talk, explained dendrograms, and presented the abstracts of treatises of a similar nature. It was hard but I was trained. Such experience goes a long way.

●Do you think Rike-jos wouldn’t mind to be stylish, being busy for their research?

But I’m still using a writing mat from my primary-school days, which cannot be stylish. Besides, the pattern on it is an airplane.

At least I am not so indifferent to fashion as to go out wearing a sweat suit.＾＾

●The necklace you are wearing is cute.

Thank you♪ This is from my boyfriend.

This is, as you see, a ring, but he gave it to me as a necklace head attached to a chain. He keeps a matching one.

We met when we were undergraduate students, and he is planning to go on to a doctor’s course. He is much more deeply involved in laboratory experiments, so he may be a typical “Rikei danshi” (male student in the science and engineering majors). (lol)

We think about our future in many ways.＾＾

●Do you have something you are getting into these days?

●Good heavens, the Korean boom has re-sparked in me! (lol) I am fascinated by Korean TV dramas and cannot help it. It won’t last long, though.＾＾

●What kind of woman, a member of society do you wish to be?

●I want to be a person with a high sense of target or direction. Such people always thrill me.

Also I wish to judge situations precisely, and to take actions effectively. Efficiency is the best!

(Doesn’t it sound like you are too much a scientific person?!) No, no, I just want to go back home soon, and resume the reading of a book I’m into now.

Thank you very much for your taking time with us, Ms. M! Talking with her gave me an impression that she is very “witty”. We are sure that she’ll remain very active in her job.